Trench-digging machine



R. BARTON. TRENCH DIGGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15; 1919.

Patented Nov. 23, 1920.

uM/V/m 60H s/era UNITED STATES, PArsNr oFi Qa pj ROBERT BARTON, 0F CLIFFORD, ONTARIO, CANADA.

I TRENCH-DIGGING Macrame Application filed September 15, 1919. semi No. 323,930. a

To allwhomz'tmag concern: Be it known that 1, ROBERT BARTON, of

the town of Clifiord, in the county of Wellin ton Province of Ontario Canada have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trench- Digging Machines, of which the following is the specification.

My invention'relates to improvements in trench digginggmachinesand the object of the invention is to devise a simple device whereby a trench may be quicklyand easily dug with a minimum amount of labor and it consists essentially of the following ar- Y. rangement and construction of parts as herefigure.

1 indicate the mainframe whicli i's provided with a'front axle2, a rear axle3 rotatably mounted in suitable bearings carried by the bars 4 and 5 of the frame 6 is the forward lcarrying'wheel which is secured upon the axle 2. 7 is the rear carrying wheel which is secured to the axle 3 and thepe;

riphery of whichis'provided with cork pro jections 8.. 9 is a shaft-which isjournaled in the side bars 4 a'nd5 in proximity to the rear wheel 7. 10. is a groove pulley. secured to theshaft 9- at the inside of theside bar 4 of the main frame; 12 is a bar which is secured in a vertical position of. the side bar adjacentto the pulley. 10. 13 and -14 are groove rollers mounted upon the bar 12 at each end thereof so as to 'partiallyproject over the periphery of thepulley 10. .1 5 is a grooved pulley secured to the axle 3. 16 is a cable drive which extends around the pulley 15, around the groove rollers 13 and 1 1 so as to bear againstthe periphery of the pulley 10. 16 is an elevating conveyer which is pivotally mounted intermediate of its length uponthe shaft 9. The conveyor 16 comprises a bottom board 17, side boards 18 and 19 on the upper end of which is is [a perspective view of my journaled a shaft 20 and at'the lower end of whichflis journaled a shaft 21. 22 is a sprocket gear mounted upon the shaft 20 between the side boardslS and 19 and 23 is a'sprocketgear mounted upon the shaft 21 between the side boards 18 and 19 and pro- Specification of Letters l 'ateiit. Patented N 1%20" vided with sprocket chain 24.v 25 is a pulley mounted uponthe shaft 20. 26' is a cable drive extending around the pulley 25 and the rear wheel 7 travels in'the direction of the arrow indicated in Fig."1, thechain 24 is carried the direction of the arrow (see Fig. 1, also) sothat the dirt which is fed onto the conveyer as hereinafter dearound the pulley. 11., By this means when scribed is carried upwardly by the links; ofv the conveyer and discharged at theflupper end. 27 is a scoopwhich-is securedto the lower end, of the sideboards18 and 19. i The scoop 27 comprises side plates 28 and 29 provided withupwardly extending arms30 i and 31 whichextend between the side bars 4 and 5 of the main frame thereby forming a guide for the" lower end; of the conveyer when adjusted vertically. Between 7 the plates 28and 29 .is secured the scoop proper 30K As will be seen'in reference to Fig, 2..the' lower end of the scoop 30*. is secured between the lower end portions of the side plates 27 and 28. The opposite-end inclines upwardover the lower end of the chain conveyer 24: so that the earth that is picked. up by the scoop is-carried direction to the links of the chain'between. the side a shaft 32 journaled .in suitable bearings.

Mounted f upon the shaft 32 jis secured. a

drum 33. 34c'is a chain whichfi s' 'secu'redt'o boards 18 andlt). orderto adjust the lowerend'of the conveyer. I have provided the periphery of the drum33 at one end and at the opposite end to a crossfboltf35' extending through the arms: 30 3l. 35 is an arc-shaped bar which is secured to the side bar 4 of the mainframe so as to be which is secured to the shaft 32 so. as to extend upwardly in a radial; position. The lever 36. isprovided with a' plate finger 37 extendingover the bar so as toform a: guide for thewlever v 36. The bar 3 5 provided with a. series of perforations 3.8. 139 is a supplemental lever pivotally'mounted in j the bracket 40 carriedby the leverf36. The lower end ofthe lever 39. is provided with a plunger pin 11 which passes through an orifice 42 in the lever 36Iand at the end concentric with'fthe shaft 32. I 36-i'sffa lever j through a perforation 38 in the bar 35. The drum 33 is turned so as to wind or unwind the chain 34 thereon, thereby adjusting the position of the scoop 27. 43 is a runway which is supported by a bracket 44 carried by the main frame. The runway 43 is directed laterally so that the earth discharged from the conveyer 16 is deposited at the side of the trench as thetrench is dug. 111 Order to support my machine in a vertical position I have provided a side frame 45 which extends laterally from the main frame and at the outer end of the frame 45 is secured a vertical guideway 46. 47 is a side bar slidably held in the guide 46 in the lower end of which is supported an axle 48 upon which is mounted a wheel 49. 50 is a vertical rack which is formed integral with the side bar 47. 51- is a gear mounted upon the shaft 52 journaled in a suitable bearing carried by ,the side frame 45. The gear 51 is formed in two portions and 54, the por-' tion 53 being in the forinof worm gear and the portion 54 in the form a straight gear engaging the rack 50. 55 is a shaft journaled in the bearings 56 and 57 carried by the frame 45-. The inner end of the shaft 55 is provided with a crank wheel 58 by which the shaft is turned, the outer or opposite end being provided with a worm 59 engaging the worm gear portion 53 of the gear 52. By turning the crank wheel 58 the shaft 55 is drawntogether with the worm 59 which engages the worm gear portion 53 turning the gear wheel. 53 thereby revolving the gear portion 54 in engagement wlth the rack and. thereby elevating or low ering that side of the machine according'to requirements. The machine is drawn over the surface of the ground by horses or. by

i a suitable tractor, the scoop 27 being lowered into contact with the ground and taking up, a layer of earth which is deposited by the scoop upon the chain 24'which C011. veys the earth upwardly and deposits it upon the runway 43 so that it falls, at the side of the trench as it is dug. This opera: tion is repeated, the scoop being gradually lowered at each operation.

From this descriptionit will be seen that I have devised a very simple form of trench digging machine which'will quickly form a trench, cutting it to the required depth.

It will of course be understood that the depth of the trench should be regulated. by the size of the carrying wheels of the machine which'would provide the greater or through which the. scoop less vertical space of the conveyermight be adjusted;

What I claim as my invention is. 1. A trench digging machine comprising beneath the upper end of the conveyer and a supplemental frame secured to the main frame and extending laterally therefrom at the opposite side to the discharge, a vertical guideway carriedby the supplemental frame at the outer end, a slide bar carried in the, vertical guide way, a carrier wheel carried by the lower end of the side bar, and means operated from the center of the machine for adjusting the slide bar vertically.

2( A trench digging machine, comprising a main frame, a front carrier wheel and a rear carrier wheel, conveyer. swingably mounted in the main frame between the front and rear carrier wheels, a scoop at the lowerend of the conveyer, a laterally extending inclined runway carried by themain frame beneath theupper end of'the conveyer and a supplemental frame at the opposite side ofthe discharge pipe, a vertical guide way carried by the supplemental frame at the outer end, a slide bar carried in the vertical guideway, a carrier wheel carried by the lower end of the slide bar, a vertical rack carried by the slide bar, a gear-wheelmounted in the supplemental frame and comprising a worm wheel portion, and a straight gear portion meshing with the rack, a worm shaft journaled in the supplemental frame and provided at oneendwith a worm and at the opposite end with an operating crank wheel. j v 3. A trench digglng,machmecomprismg main frameprovided' with front and rear carrier wheels, a conveyer and a scoop there for supported by said main frame, an auxiliary frame extending latera'lly'from the main frame, and adjustable supporting means carried the auxiliary frame for maintaining the main frame and the conveyer in upright operative position.

4. 'A trench digging machine comprising a wheeled main frame, a conveyer and a scoop supported thereby, an auxiliary frame- 

